Why I love New Wine
I have simply returned from our 19th visit to New Wine in Shepton Mallet—though a good number of our visits have been to New Wine [Gateway to the] Northward in Newark. We offset attended when our eldest was one, and continued attending each twelvemonth, even when number ii was i month one-time and number 3 was two weeks erstwhile (all of them having summer birthdays). And I have been offering seminars each year for the last xi years. So I guess yous could telephone call the states 'difficult core' New Vino attenders. A few years ago, when teaching in theological college, I presented the New Wine vision statement to colleagues, but with details of where information technology came from removed. Anybody heartily endorsed what was set up out—and why wouldn't you? Who could disagree with a vision of renewal through the local church being a place of encounter with God, where people are nurtured in discipleship and equipped to have a transforming touch on their local communities?
So why have we been so committed? I call up in that location are five main reasons.
ane. God.I of the features of New Vino has been a commitment to the importance of personal come across with God. God gives many gifts to his people, but his greatest souvenir is himself—the gift of his presence. If we love the things that God (and organized religion) do for us, but forget the supreme gift of God's presence in our lives, then we are similar children who play more with the box than with the present that came in it. This is a vital counterbalance to ii tendencies.
The trend amidst evangelicals is to be activist rather than contemplative. I can nevertheless remember the painful confession in David Watson's concluding book of his struggle, even in the face up of his ain death, to put aside love of the things of God for the sake of the love of God. It is a detail danger for those in full-time ministry, but not confined to them. And the trend amongst Anglicans is to exist institutionalised rather than personal—to become pre-occupied with the forms of expression of the love of God instead of the honey itself. I suppose that if you are both evangelical and Anglican, you face a double danger.
As a result of this focus on God himself, which runs all the style from leaders' breakfast meetings, through principal events and into the seminars, I find each year that I return more committed to my own personal renewal in God, more than willing to pray, and somehow more than fruitful in prayer for others.
two. Mercy ministries. When Jim Wallis from Sojourners in New York came as the MainStage speaker to Shepton Mallet a number of years ago, it very much looked like a bolt on—a commitment to social action sitting rather awkwardly within a theology that was really looking in some other direction. (I gather that the process of deciding to invite him wasn't entirely straightforward either.) I was doubtful that this partnership would really piece of work—but I was wrong. Interest with organisations committed to practical action has not simply become a regular role of New Wine—information technology has become a natural office of it, not to the lowest degree through partnership with a range of existing organisations. 1 of the almost compelling evening addresses concluding calendar week came from Gary Haugen, an American advocate who has used his legal experience to pursue governments and printing them into recognising the rights of children forced into slavery and prostitution—with some remarkable effects.
I am not sure if many commentators have noticed how pregnant this is. From a sketchy knowledge of renewal movements, it seems to me that the fundamental to continued momentum is to wait outwards. Those that content themselves with an inward focus soon collapse on themselves or splinter into numerous smaller groups as differences arise.
three. Conversion. Another part of looking outward is the continued commitment to see people come up to Christ. In that location are regular reports of how many people have made a delivery each day. This might seem odd for an consequence which is primarily for those already involved in a church, and it is possible to be sceptical nearly what 'a commitment' really means for a 5-twelvemonth-old. But it is an important reminder that this is what church is for—to call people to discipleship and then build them upwards so that they in turn get disciple-making disciples. In an age of church refuse, it might not be the only matter we do—simply it is certainly something nosotros cannot afford non to do.
four. Friendships. 1 of the things I love nigh New Vino is the chance to renew friendship with leaders and swain disciples who encourage me and from whom I larn. Two phrases are much derided at the moment: 'networking' and 'similar-minded.' But in fact anybody does it—anybody loves spending time with people who share our passion and our vision, and who sharpen our thinking and our living. Information technology is easy to feel isolated, either as a Christian in a less than friendly social or work context, or as a church leader. Isolation is a dangerous matter, and the renewal of friendships is a powerful antidote.
5. Renewal of vision for churches. This year nosotros did not have a church grouping, so we were camping with a group of other 'Billy No Mates' (as our host helpfully put it!) who had also come on their ain. Information technology was clear that each of them found New Vino refreshing personally, and a place that they hoped others from their church would also detect helpful, in deepening faith, broadening vision, and equipping for Christian living.
Those are the most significant things for me, and they are enough to showtime the hassle and discomfort of camping—which is not my natural way of life.
Just no organisation is perfect, and at that place are iii things that I would dearest to see more than of:
ane. Alter in the paradigm of sung worship. It might just exist that I am now a Grumpy One-time Man, merely the popular idiom for extended sung worship does nothing for me. I don't experience the demand to become to a nightclub to worship God. On the way back this year, I was driving with Becca, our youngest, who is now 15. She spent 3 and a half hours singing loudly to her favourite pop songs (I joined in when I could…!). But it was striking that, for many of them, the ethos did not feel much different to the main Arena at New Vino.
Now, this is clearly a benefit in some regards, since for young people not used to church building information technology lowers the cultural barriers between church and everyday life. But I think it has some serious consequences for our worship. In the nineteenth century, a dominant idiom for expressing thought was the structured poem, and many of our classic hymns have words that were synthetic in their own correct, and tunes were oft added later, nearly ofttimes by someone else. In the popular idiom, words and music come together, and at times the words are chosen but to fit the tune.
This means that, for many of our gimmicky choruses, the words are thin, and the theology superficial. Even more significantly, words and music accept different effects on usa: by and large, words appoint our brain, our thought, whilst music engages our emotions. Proficient words prepare to a good tune appoint both heart and mind together—both idea and emotion. Just many contemporary songs have emotive words, so they and then engage with…emotion and emotion. We demand both together, rather than an overdose of emoting. Nosotros need less therapy and more good theology.
2. Bible teaching.In the past, the master morning meetings accept been given over to Bible instruction. That was inverse a couple of years ago, and at that place was something of a backlash, so this year nosotros returned to a single speaker expounding a theme beyond the whole week. In Week 1 (which I attended) we heard Simon Ponsonby from St Aldate'southward, Oxford, requite a masterclass in entertaining, engaging preaching. Just it wasn't really Bible exposition. I suspect they would have something rather dissimilar at Keswick Convention!
I would love to see a demonstration of greater confidence that, whilst we are interested in our formation, and not simply in data—in growing mature, not just growing fat on Bible knowledge—God can speak to us through well-informed biblical exposition. The different traditions in the church—and the different groups in evangelicalism—live too much in their own silos, and it would be peachy to have more than cantankerous-over with those who have the Bible seriously.
3. Undefended leadership. I know most of the leaders in New Wine reasonably well, and we accept warm and open relationships. They are responsive to feedback and mind to concerns—more I recollect is realised. But for many who are further away, in that location is sometimes a sense that decisions have been made behind airtight doors, and the reasons are either unclear or unconvincing. This is important for New Wine itself—but it is even more important for the touch on on local churches. I have known several New Vino churches which have been seriously damaged by capricious and authoritarian leadership—where people (usually men!) have mistaken strong leadership for unquestionable leadership. It would exist great to see a more explicit modelling of undefended leadership and how that might be taken into the local church.
Whatever direction New Wine develops in, my hope and prayer is that it will continue to exist used by God to bring renewal and life to his church building.
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